Virgin America Takes Off With Inaugural Flights
By Suzanne Marta, The Dallas Morning News
Aug. 9–SAN FRANCISCO — Virgin America’s first flight from New York to San Francisco International Airport wasn’t without its stumbles.
The plane carrying Virgin Group Ltd. chairman Sir Richard Branson and Virgin America chief executive Fred Reid left John F. Kennedy International Airport almost an hour late due to bad weather.
And traffic in the New York area meant Comedy Central star Stephen Colbert never made it aboard the namesake “Air Colbert” jet.
Things seemed to go more smoothly for the fledgling carrier’s inaugural flight to San Francisco from Los Angeles.
The first-day glitches couldn’t squelch the excitement as Virgin America’s first flights arrived here in tandem, just 15 minutes later than scheduled.
The cheering started as soon as the red tails of Virgin America planes could be seen approaching the runways at San Francisco International Airport.
“That’s them!” one employee shouted.
The planes taxied through a water spray from airport firetrucks, and 200 passengers and special guests walked out of the jetways on red carpets.
An ebullient Mr. Branson, who is a minority investor in Virgin America, told the crowd, “Virgin America was born today.”
Mr. Reid, who must leave his post as the airline’s chief executive by the end of the year under an agreement with the U.S. Department of Transportation, said Wednesday marked “a new start” for Virgin.
“Virgin America is here because of people who dared to be different,” he said.
Among the passengers was Legend Airlines founder Allan McArtor, now chairman of Airbus North American Holdings Inc.
“It’s the finest service product in the air,” Mr. McArtor said. “The coach class is as good as first class on most airlines.”
Even with the hiccups, the mood at San Francisco International Airport was upbeat. Employees squealed with delight, hugged and took snapshots before the flights arrived.
The Virgin America check-in area, concourse and gate area were festooned with large, red sea-urchin-looking balloons.
Andrew Wells, who flew from San Francisco to New York, hadn’t realized he’d be in the middle of a launch party.
“It was just the cheapest flight,” said Mr. Wells, 26, standing in the middle of the crowd. He paid $358 for his trip, about $50 less than on other carriers, he said.
The carrier, which has 10 Airbus A319 and A320 jets, will serve San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York. In September, it will add service to Washington Dulles, and in October it will launch flights to Las Vegas.
Virgin, which has been touted as the industry’s best-funded start-up, had a tough road to reach Wednesday’s festivities.
Plans for the airline were announced in early 2004. U.S. airlines and unions protested its application to the Department of Transportation, which initially rejected it on the grounds that there seemed to be too close an alliance with its foreign investors. The U.S. limits foreign ownership of commercial airlines to 25 percent.
Virgin finally won its approvals in May, under the stipulation that it make some changes to limit foreign investor influence and that Mr. Reid step down.
Virgin America touts low-fare service with chic style and hip in-flight entertainment. Virgin’s entertainment system, dubbed “Red,” offers satellite television and on-demand movies, video games, 3,000 songs and food menus (and bills), all from a 9-inch seatback screen and a handheld device.
In a nod to the tech-savvy generation, the system also lets passengers send text messages while airborne, create a social network, and charge electronics with regular 110-volt outlets and USB ports.
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